Exercise Library
Smith Squat
Stand under a Smith machine bar with feet about shoulder-width apart and bar resting across your upper back. Unrack the bar and lower your body by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your torso upright and core braced. Descend until your thighs are near parallel to the floor, then push through your heels to return to standing. Perform with controlled tempo and good form throughout.
Primary muscle
Quadriceps
Secondary muscles
glutes, hamstrings, with secondary engagement of calves, core, and lower back
Equipment
Smith Machine
Category
Quadriceps
How to Do the Smith Squat
- Set the bar at upper chest height and load it, then step under and place it across your upper traps.
- Grip the bar outside your shoulders, stand up, and rotate your wrists to unhook it.
- Walk your feet slightly forward of the bar line, shoulder width apart with toes a little out.
- Brace your core and squat down by bending the knees and hips together, keeping your chest up.
- Descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
- Drive through your whole foot to press back up to a full stand.
- After 8 to 12 reps, rotate the bar back onto the hooks before stepping out.
Common Mistakes
- Feet directly under the bar: On fixed rails this pitches you forward like a free squat gone wrong. Step the feet slightly forward so you can sit back into the bar.
- Cutting depth: Sliding rails make it tempting to bounce out of quarter squats. Reach at least parallel so the glutes and quads do full range work.
- Forgetting the safety hooks: Failing mid rep without knowing the re-rack twist is dangerous. Practice hooking and unhooking with an empty bar first.
- Letting the knees cave: Knees collapsing inward under fatigue stresses the joint. Push them out over the toes on every rep.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your smith squat sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.